South Korea Already a Top 6-7 Space Power Worldwide... "Cannot Compare to UAE" [Reading Science]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The South Korean government has officially declared its leap to become one of the "world's top 7 space powers." Despite its relatively short history in space development, South Korea is rapidly catching up with established space powers in terms of technology, budget, and manpower, ranking around 6th to 7th globally, according to experts. However, there remain numerous challenges to fully advancing space development, including continuous R&D and investment, revitalizing the private sector, and establishing a dedicated government organization.

◇ How far has space development progressed?

On the 25th of last month, President Moon Jae-in declared at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, following the successful comprehensive combustion test of Korea's first domestically developed launch vehicle, the Nuri rocket, "We will firmly leap to become one of the world's top 7 space powers." The test verified the performance of the first stage, which consists of four 75-ton engines clustered together, marking the near completion of the Nuri rocket development. If the launch scheduled for October succeeds, South Korea will become the seventh country in the world, after the United States, China, Russia, the European Union (EU), Japan, and India, to possess an independent space launch vehicle capable of deploying practical satellites.

South Korea's space launch vehicle development is rapidly catching up with major advanced countries. According to the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), as of 2018, South Korea's space launch vehicle technology level was about 60 points compared to the U.S. (100 points), with a technology gap equivalent to 17 years. However, if the Nuri rocket, which has completed performance verification, ultimately succeeds, the technology level will rise to the 80-point range, narrowing the gap to within 10 years. Additionally, South Korea benefits from a strong national consensus on space development, security-related demand, a small but high-quality workforce, and continuous government investment. The overall industrial technology, including the ICT sector, is also improving. Visible achievements in basic and applied research following the Nuri rocket's success and the completion of test facility infrastructure are positive factors. A representative from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) explained, "Starting with scientific rockets in the 1990s and through continuous investment, we have developed up to the Nuri rocket. Following the revision of the Korea-U.S. missile guidelines, development of small solid-propellant launch vehicles led by the private sector is also underway."

◇ Satellites are advanced, exploration is in its infancy

The field where South Korea is considered closest to advanced countries is satellite manufacturing. South Korea has developed and operates the world's highest-level Earth observation satellite (Arirang 7) with a resolution of 30 cm, achieved 100% domestic design technology for precision scientific satellites, and localized 67% of major components (Multipurpose Practical Satellite 3). For the recently launched next-generation medium-sized satellite 1, the localization rate of core technologies reached 86.3% (system and main body) and 98.6% (payload).

Setrec-I, a private satellite manufacturing venture founded by the creators of Our Star 1, is globally recognized for its satellite manufacturing and operation capabilities. It is known that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which succeeded in Mars exploration last March, received technology transfer from Setrec-I. South Korea is one of the few countries currently possessing geostationary satellites for meteorology, oceanography, and environmental monitoring. Development of military satellites, including an independent precision navigation satellite (KPS system), precision military reconnaissance satellites (Project 415), and satellite swarm systems, is also actively progressing.

The space exploration sector remains largely uncharted territory. South Korea is beginning to actively engage, planning to launch a lunar orbiter in August next year, followed by a lunar lander mission by 2030, and an asteroid Apophis landing and exploration mission by 2029. However, South Korea has not officially joined the Artemis program, the international manned lunar exploration initiative led by the U.S. targeting 2024. It is also not a participant in the International Space Station, operated by 16 countries including the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Russia.

Experts point out that comparing the UAE and South Korea, which only possess satellite manufacturing and operation technology, is inappropriate. A Ministry of Science and ICT official stated, "The UAE is known to have relied on U.S. companies for the development and launch of its Mars exploration satellite. Although the UAE government is heavily investing in preparation for oil depletion, it still has a long way to go."

◇ "Establish a Space Agency and Develop Human Resources"

There are many challenges to overcome for full-scale space exploration. The annual space development budget of about 600 billion KRW is significantly smaller compared to major advanced countries (as of 2018: U.S. $40.9 billion, China $5.833 billion). South Korea also lacks sufficient space development personnel. KARI has about 1,000 employees, whereas NASA employs around 18,000. This is much fewer than Germany's 8,400, France's 2,400, and Japan's 1,500.

Former KARI Director Lee Joo-jin emphasized, "Space exploration is not only about realizing the dreams of the people but also an important stage for national and industrial development by commercializing future technologies, preventing natural disasters, and advancing the 4th industrial revolution including ICT. The government must do its utmost to play a leading role in revitalizing the private space industry through the establishment of a space agency."

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